When It All Falls Apart
by Angelstarx3
Summary: SxS. When he left, she was heartbroken. Now that he's returned, he's stirred up her feelings for him once again. Dear Heart, I met the real him today. So cold people can be warm too. Prepare to break. Read and Review, chapter 13 up! :3
1. Broken Hearts

**When It All Falls Apart;**

**Chapter One: Broken Hearts**

Pairing: SasuSaku

Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me. Credit goes to Masashi Kishimoto for creating this wonderful anime.

A/N: I've been here for quite a while, and I've posted some stories. Unfortunately, they were never finished, as I sort-of forgot my username. So there, I'm not that new. (: Reviews keep me writing!

Summary: It's been two years since Uchiha Sasuke left Konohagakure for his revenge and Haruno Sakura has finally gotten over him…or so she'd like to think. But, once again, she has to fall for /him/.

-x-

Two years.

It's actually been two years.

Two years, since Haruno Sakura had last saw Uchiha Sasuke.

Two years, since she had been left on a cold stone bench by him.

Two years, since she actually was able to force a smile upon her lips.

Two years, since she was able to get her life back together.

Two years, since she was able to ask her self why the hell she stays by him, when she gave him her heart, and he pushed it away...

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Thud...thud...thud...

The blonde haired male watched the girl beside him, blue eyes filled with gratitude as he noted how she sliced the apple into pieces small enough for his wounded self to chew on, his whole body aching from the pressure of bandage on skin. The female's shoulder-length pink hair framed her elfin face, jade green eyes sparkling with accomplishment as she prodded a piece with a skewer, holding it out to her friend with a happy smile on her pretty face.

"There you go, Naruto!" She handed the skewer to him, and he snatched it from her greedily, stuffing it into his mouth, which made her laugh. "You're such a greedy pig, Naruto." She teased, smiling brightly. "I can't help it if I've been living on hospital food, Sakura-chan."

He made a face at the mention of the food, and she laughed, knowing what Naruto meant. She'd been injured countless of times in Tsunade-sama's classes, and she'd had to come to the hospital to try her abilities on real humans instead of animals. It was tough, no doubt, but it had been worth it to see that her efforts were rewarded.

"Sakura-chan..."

"Hai, Naruto?"

"What would you do if Teme died?"

It was just a simple question, innocent enough to most people, but it made Sakura freeze in her seat. She glanced up at Naruto, who looked at her questioningly.

Teme and Dobe, they used to call each other in arguments, she remembered clearly in her mind. All the fighting, all the showing off, all the tears when they'd tried to search for him without avail...

"...I don't know, Naruto. I really don't..."

Naruto watched her face fall, tears clouding up in her eyes once more. "Geeze, how many of those things do you have in there?" he said, trying to cheer her up with his optimism before she broke down into real tears, and all he got was a weak, tired smile in response.

"I really should start forgetting that he was part of my life, ne, Naruto?"

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A/N: I know that was supremely short and lousy. –Epic fail-

The next chapter will get better, I promise! (:

Like I said, reviews keep me writing, so you know what to do, don't you?

Good! Now start reviewing. [:


	2. Return To Konoha

**When It All Falls Apart;**

**Chapter Two: Return To Konoha**

Disclaimer: Naruto does NOT belong to me, and never will be. Let me weep.

A/N: Yup, so here I am, typing another random chapter inspired from yet another song. See, music is my boyfriend. xD

There's going to be a made-up here called Hinote too, so don't get confused. You have been warned.

There's also going to be modern life in it. I mean, I really don't know how ninjas live at that time. o_0

- -

"_Sakura…thank you, for everything." _

She shot upright in her bed, trembling as she wrapped her arms around herself.

Once again, it had to be that dream. That dream, where he'd left her.

Alone.

Abandoned.

Defenseless.

Heart broken.

A single tear slipped out of the corner of her eye, and she raised a finger to wipe it away, ashamed at herself. "A ninja must never show any signs of emotion, Sakura, and you damn well know that." She muttered under her breath, tossing the covers off her as she got up. Padding across the cold floor with her bare feet, she dug in her closet for something half-decent to wear, and cursed a little when she couldn't find anything to her liking.

'_So much for taking care of yourself, huh?_' she scolded herself mentally, digging out worn out clothes and going downstairs to drop them in the laundry basket. Glancing down at her pajamas, decorated with pink fluffy bunnies (A/N: KAWAII! x3), she sighed and went to the kitchen to cook breakfast for herself. Bringing it to the living room once it was done, she sat down on the floor and reached for the button on the radio. She silently dug into her little dish as she listened to the news, not really focusing on its contents, but a certain one caught her attention.

"_Uchiha Sasuke, the deemed traitor to Konohagakure, has assassinated Uchiha Itachi. ANBU forces have tried to capture him, but failed. We encourage all villagers to remain in their houses..."_

She'd heard enough. Abandoning her mostly untouched breakfast, she rushed upstairs, grabbed any random outfit and threw it on, before rushing downstairs with the keys to her house in her hands.

_Naruto…are you awake? Did you hear that? Sasuke-kun…he's back._

- -

Sasuke fell to the ground, and then stayed, not bothering to move an inch. He was alone in the forest, making his way toward _her_. He had to see her again, before he went back into hiding. Surely he had missed someone as he was getting revenge? They would come after him; kill those people dear to him, and burn all of his possessions. Laughing to himself for thinking he missed someone, Sasuke sat up and looked at the cuts and scars he had gotten as he fought off Itachi and the ANBU, cursing them in his mind. The injuries inflicted upon him meant nothing, only hate, revenge.

Glancing up, he growled softly as he heard the snap of a branch nearby, and staggered up. He hopped up to the next tree and ducked down so that it shaded everything other then his onyx eyes, watching the ground warily as he wondered who had came for him this time. His breath came out ragged and shallow, his body weak and limp from not eating and drinking for days. For a second, though, a certain pinkette flashed through his mind.

_Could it be her? Will she welcome me back with open arms?_

Sasuke shook his head, his gravity-defying, jet black hair swaying along with the quick motions. He wouldn't - couldn't - stay by her side. The only thing he could give her was to stay far, far away.

_You'd be the cause of her death if you stay._

Hn. They'd never let her off if they found out that he had more than a simple crush on her.

And that was why, he'd let time erase her memories of him away, bit by bit.

He'd protect her, no matter what happened.

Even if it meant that they'd never be together.

Never.

- -

A/N: Yes, I am evil, so I'll leave you on that cliffhanger.

God. It's yet another horrible, short chapter. Pardon me, everyone. -Epic fail-

Hinote'll appear in the next chapter, and the big question is when Sasuke and Sakura will meet, huh? xD

Reply to review:

ssraja10 - Yes, I know my chapters are short. However, I have very, very limited time on the computer, and school isn't helping with homework and stuff. Not to mention that I'm going to take a major, major exam in one and a half years that'll decide my whole life. I'm not kidding.

R&R! I'm thinking of setting a minimum limit. -Evil smirk-

Sakura: …You're evil, Ellie-chan…

Sasuke: …Hn.


	3. Reflections of a Cherry Blossom

**When It All Falls Apart;**

**Chapter Three: Reflections of a Cherry Blossom **

Disclaimer: I think by now, we all know that I don't own Naruto. Do I really need to repeat that?

A/N: Okay, so here's the third chapter. Today's my birthday, and I'm feeling nice, so…

- -

"Naruto…Sasuke's back. After two whole years…he's back."

"…So teme's back?"

"It seems to be that way."

"Heh…"

Sakura watched Naruto's face quietly, wondering how he's taking the new information in. The blonde haired male simply remained silent, having a thoughtful expression on his badly scratched face. A smile slowly spread across his lips, eyes filled with renewed determination as he turned around to focus his eyes on the pinkette.

"So he's back for me to kick his sorry ass?"

Naruto grinned, not meaning it one bit. They had gone through so much together, as a team, that they had developed bonds between one another. It didn't matter what Sasuke said about cutting off the bond that he had with them; he was still part of the team, and that was that.

Sakura smiled gently, letting the silence fill the air this time. Normally, she would have punched him in the face for saying such things about Sasuke, but he was her friend, was he not? Besides, she'd turned to him so many times after Sasuke had gone, it was almost as if he'd became a little more then what they used to be.

She knew, though, that Naruto could never replace _him_ in her mind. It was almost as if he had the power to control her; like a puppeteer controlling his puppet to do whatever he wanted with a single flick of his hand. Sometimes, she'd wonder if she was really under his control.

Every time his onyx eyes met her own, she felt helpless, drowning herself into the darkness they held. She never understood why he was so insistent on taking revenge for his clan, but she'd grown during the time he wasn't there, and had been through so many battles, she understood now.

Revenge would satisfy him.

She would not.

Revenge was a dark power that would make him happy once he laid his hands on his clan's assassin.

She could provide him with nothing that he wanted.

Revenge could make him happy.

She could only be annoying.

Her thoughts would sometimes escape their prison, though, and would drift away. She'd let them float around, before trying to reel them back in. Sub-consciously, though, she knew that she didn't want to stop thinking about him.

She didn't want to let go of him.

She didn't want to stop dreaming of him, day and night.

She didn't want to stop loving him.

She knew that she should, of course, but she couldn't do it. Somehow, a force was continuously pushing her towards the edge, even though she didn't want to. She longer wanted to be a fool for him, and she was really emotionally exhausted.

She just couldn't take any more of this.

He was a cold hearted, revenge crazed, emo bastard who was literally a human ice cube.

How come she couldn't get over him then?

What went wrong?

_Help me. _

_Save me. _

She'd always been saying that, thinking that she was pathetic and useless, needing Sasuke to stay by her side to protect her. She never gave a damn over how Naruto and Lee had been by her side when she was truly broken up, and how they'd protected her with their life, choosing to squeal and swoon over Sasuke.

And, of all things he could say of her, it had to be that same old sentence.

"_You're annoying."_

Why couldn't she have fallen for Naruto or Lee instead? Life would be so much simpler, and she'd be happy now and forever. They'd treat her well, and shower her with love and concern…and not telling her that she was annoying them.

Of all people, why the human ice cube?

"That's it, Naruto, I've had ENOUGH!"

Naruto railed back at her sudden outburst of anger, not realizing that she wasn't listening to his rambling about how delicious ramen was and how he was going to treat her to it.

"…You don't like ramen, Sakura-chan?"

"Huh? I love ramen, Naruto. I'm sorry, I wasn't listening just now." She sweat dropped.

"Okay…what had enough?"

"I'm sick and tired of waiting like a stupid fool for Uchiha Sasuke when he so obviously doesn't care whether I'm alive or dead! I don't have the bloody energy to keep it up anymore! I'm about to go nuts waiting like this, Naruto, I'm just going to give up and move along."

Naruto stared at Sakura as if she'd gone nuts. She'd been the one to cry and beg him to get Sasuke back to Konoha…to her. Now, she was telling him that she was going to move on with her life?

"…Who are you and what have you done with Sakura-chan?!" he yelled, tugging at her cheeks and hair.

"OUCH! STOP THAT NARUTO!"

"Tell me!"

"LET GO BEFORE I BASH YOU!"

Naruto let go, sweat dropping, sheepish grin on face.

"Ehehe, sorry about that Sakura-chan, I was just making sure…" he trailed off, gulping as he saw the evil glint in her eyes. He'd know that glint anywhere...

"TAKE THAT!" she screamed, punching Naruto in the face with a chakra filled fist.

Now, that would truly hurt.

- -

A/N: So far, I think this is the longest chapter I've made, with 1,032 words. Yeah, I have officially gone nuts, typing out 3 pages of Sakura's reflections on what she feels and her bashing Naruto. Naru-kun's a poor little thing, always getting bullied by me. XD

Okay, so here we go again:

Review Replies:

Micah Sakura – Hahas, thanks for the review. 3 I hope this was long enough for you, because I spent most of the afternoon celebrating my birthday instead, and I only spent about…five hours on this? Thanks for the compliment; I'll keep it to the plot as much as possible. Don't blame me if I suddenly decide to go out of character, though, I'll bring them back to character in no time. (:


	4. Welcome Back, Sasuke

**When It All Falls Apart;**

**Chapter Four: Welcome Back, Sasuke**

**Disclaimer:**  
Me: No, no, I'm sick of doing this for three chapters.  
Sasuke: …  
Sakura: …Uh-huh?  
Me: …EMO KID, DO IT! :D  
Sasuke: WHY ME?!  
Sakura: I'd die to see Sasuke do some dumb disclaimer. o_0  
Sasuke: … -Signature death glare-  
Me: Do it or I'll shove a stick up your tight little ass, emo boy. -Waves stick in air-  
Sasuke: -Whimpers- She doesn't own Naruto?  
Me: -Smirks-  
Sakura: -Rolls on floor laughing-

**A/N:  
**Okay, fourth chapter completed. I'm going to make this one short and sweet. Hinote will be appearing in this chapter, so keep an eye out for her. I know, I keep delaying her appearance, but here she is. This is my first time attempting a songfic, so here goes nothing. I THINK it's the right lyrics, since I hear them this way. –Epic fail-  
Reviews make me very, very happy. So happy, I'd possibly throw my studies to the side to update for you guys.

**Review Replies:  
**Tiger Priestess - Yeah, he's adorable, isn't he? Thank you, thank you.

Micah Sakura - SasuSaku is my WORLD. I don't know what I'd do if they don't end up together…Ne-ways (My short form for anyway, if you didn't get it), Sasuke's back in Konoha in this chapter, thus the wonderful chapter title. -Beams-

- -  
_Imagine waking up someday  
Knowing you made a mistake  
And there is nothing you can do  
Or nothing you can say  
And everything you had before  
The love ain't there no more  
You let it walk through the door  
Leaves you with nothing to live for…_

Sasuke growled as he leapt to the tree next to his, knowing that he couldn't keep on hiding from her, and put on his signature death glare.

"Why are you, of all people, out here? You shouldn't be; I'm not in a good mood, and I'm trying not to get _killed by some certain freaks_."

Her lip trembled as she took in his amazingly handsome face that was just inches from hers. Yep, one thing she was certain about: The males of the Uchiha clan were blessed with killer looks. She tilted her head, acting as innocent as she could muster.

"I heard you ran off and accomplished your revenge, so I thought I'd check things out. Is that a crime, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke growled; he'd only accepted a kun suffix from Sakura. To him, any other girl's would be considered as a fan girl's, and not worthy to be acknowledged.

The young female kept silent, knowing that she'd crossed the border between friend and fan girl, her chocolate brown hair dancing along with the gentle breeze that caressed her cheek. She averted her gaze from his darned sexy lips towards his battered and bruised body.

"You need some medical help, soon, or you're going to _die_."

"…Take me to my teammates. I want to see them now."

Little did Hinote know that a certain pinkette was on his mind; she didn't know him well, after all.

_I can feel the rain  
Falling down on me  
Since you left me  
I had nothing but rainy days  
I can feel the pain  
Gotta' have you back again  
And girl I know that it sounds silly  
But I really, really miss you…_

Soft splatters of rain started hitting their heads, running happily through their hair and making them flat against their scalp as Hinote stared at Sasuke in shock. He was in pain, and yet, he chose to see his former teammates? This was definitely not Sasuke behavior.

Sasuke, on the other hand, glanced up at the dark clouds as he closed his eyes. A little rain wasn't a problem; his world had been full of them ever since he left Konoha.

More accurately, ever since he left _her_.

_Even though I diss you  
I miss you  
Wish I could kiss you,  
Caress you  
Even though it's too late,  
Wanna' say that I'm sorry baby._

_Even though I diss you  
I miss you  
Wish I could kiss you,  
Caress you  
Even though it's too late,  
Wanna' say that I'm sorry baby…_

He still remembered the times tears had rolled down her face, all because of his one sentence: "You're annoying."

If only she knew how much it had hurt _him_ to do that to her.

If only she knew how much he wanted to wrap his arms around her possessively as other males watched.

If only she knew how much he wished he could bring her to the beach to watch a sunset together, and crash his lips on hers.

If only his stupid pride hadn't gotten in the way of all of those things…

_All I can do is contemplate  
Now I'm sitting here all alone  
And I got nobody to hold  
And you won't even answer your phone  
And I know you probably hate me right now  
But tell me, are you really happy?  
If you see me, would you walk straight past me  
Like we never met at all?_

Throughout all the years they'd been teammates, she had always been a pillar of support for him.

He knew that she was always there by his side to protect him from danger and to show him the love he'd never had before.

He'd thought that he was a prince living in his own tragic fairytale, far away from the others that crowded around him.

He'd given up on any hope of seeing light again…until she came along.

She had been his moon in the lonely darkness, guiding him and showing him the wonders of life.

Somewhere along the way, his heart learnt how to love again.

_Would you turn around  
So I can see you smile  
One last look at your face  
Would take me back to a place  
Where I used to be  
When it was just you and me  
And girl, I know that it sounds silly  
But I really, really miss you…_

The first thing he wanted to see was her smile, the only thing that had made his heart pound happily.

He _missed_ her.

And, as much as he hated to admit it…

He was starting to _love _her.

Dearly.

Insanely.

Suicidal, even.

_Even though I diss you  
I miss you  
Wish I could kiss you,  
Caress you  
Even though it's too late,  
Wanna' say that I'm sorry baby._

_Even though I diss you  
I miss you  
Wish I could kiss you,  
Caress you  
Even though it's too late,  
Wanna' say that I'm sorry baby…_

He'd get back and apologize for his bastardly ways, and stop acting like he has a kunai stuck up his ass.

Treat Naruto to ramen, even.

…Possibly.

…On second thoughts…

Never.

That guy had a huge appetite for ramen, and he didn't have much cash on him right now.

_Girl, I'm so sorry for everything that I've done to you  
Look what it's done to me  
Girl, I'm so sorry for everything that I've done to you  
Look what it's done to me_

Hinote watched Sasuke's thoughtful face scrunch up into a pained expression, tilting her head slightly.

"Are you okay, Sasuke?"

Sasuke growled softly, before remembering that he wanted to change himself. No more bastardly behavior. Right.

He could live with that, he guessed.

"I'm fine. Just…thinking about things."

_Even though I diss you  
I miss you  
Wish I could kiss you,  
Caress you  
Even though it's too late,  
Wanna' say that I'm sorry baby._

_Even though I diss you  
I miss you  
Wish I could kiss you,  
Caress you  
Even though it's too late,  
Wanna' say that I'm sorry baby…_

He'd lost someone he wanted…no, needed, when he left her on that bench.

It was hard enough to find love, but to find love again was impossible to him.

_I'll be better and stay strong for you, Sakura…chan. _

- -  
**A/N:**  
I think that stinks, but apparently it's getting too dark to even see the letters on the keyboard anymore, and it was still pretty bright when I started on this chapter. Thanks, memorizing-keyboard-by-using-it-too-much skills.

My eyes are now screaming for me to stop, so…

Night everyone!


	5. Sasuke's House Arrest!

**When It All Falls Apart;**

**Chapter Five: Sasuke's house arrest?!**

**Disclaimer:  
**I do not own Naruto, alright?  
If I did, there'll be little pink-haired and raven-haired kids running around a huge mansion screaming "Sharingan!", and Sakura dressed in outfits bearing the Uchiha symbol.

**A/N:  
**Relatives are at my house, so guess why I can update? I've got a laptop.  
Sasuke, being house arrested, just seemed plain hilarious to me; especially if it's in a female's house. –Evil smile-  
There MIGHT be a little bit of SasuSaku moments. -Cheers-

**Reviews Replies:  
**Tiger Priestess - Not literal, of course; I don't really know how to define 'stick stuck up his ass' for you though. Thank you, and poor Hinote, this will teach you not to love Sasuke.

Micah Sakura - Hopefully she will. We'll just have to see. (:

-x-

_Every time I try to fly, I fall.  
Without my wings, I feel so small.  
I guess I need you, baby.  
And every time I see you in my dreams;  
I see your face; you're haunting me.  
I guess I need you, baby…_

To everyone, she was always impossibly cheerful and optimistic, like she didn't have a care in the world.

Nobody really knew what she was inside.

Broken.

Bruised.

Numb.

Haruno Sakura was a fragile, porcelain doll, made only to be broken again and again.

**Flashback**

"_I…I love you with all my heart! __If you go, I'll… I'll scream!" _

_She had cried while bowing her head as tears slipped down her pale cheeks. She was a picture of sadness, but nobody was there to see it._

_Only him and her._

_Moonlight fell on the two, casting faint shadows as one drop followed another in their destination, the floor. She shifted one foot forward, her body hunched in agony and pain. _

_He, however, remained in his position, his back to her. A large backpack rested on his back, screaming the word…leaving._

_She didn't want him to leave, but he seemed intent on his revenge, she thought remorsefully. And that was the reason she was caught off guard as Sasuke vanished into thin air, reappearing behind her. _

_A cold breeze gently flitted through, exploring the cracks in the hard floor, as they stood there in one last silence, each being grateful that the other was there in that period of time._

_He bit his lip, not knowing what to tell this female that he had fallen so hard for, fearing her reaction. At last, he settled for a simple statement that he dug out from the bottom of his heart._

"_Sakura…thank you." He whispered, before she felt a hard jab in the back and her world went black._

_He caught her bridal style, and laid her down on a cold stone bench, wiping her wet cheeks gently with a hand._

"_Thank you…for your love."_

**End**

_Drip…drip…drip…_

Beads of sweat fell onto the ground as she ran, her limbs carrying her as fast as they could towards the Hokage's tower.

_It can't be…_

She burst into the room, not even thinking of knocking on the door, panting from the dreadfully long run.

_Why?_

She inclined her head slowly, almost fearfully, like a monster was going to devour her.

_Two years. You made me wait for a freaking two years, you bastard._

Onyx clashed with jade as her eyes finally found their way to his, and she struggled to keep herself from drowning into them.

_Have you settled down with another female? _

"…Sas…u…ke?

_Our bonds are probably broken, huh? You find me annoying, don't you?_

He managed a light smirk, expecting her to crash into his arms any second and tell him how much she loved him.

_Well, I said that I'd give up on you, and I shall…even if your appearance makes my heart leap again._

"Niwatori no Ketsu!" She yelled as her palm made contact with his perfect face.

Sasuke was taken aback, raising an eyebrow at her as he rubbed his sore cheek carefully.

"What the hell is your problem, Sakura?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, but it's my natural reaction at seeing you, gaki."

"Hn."

"Back to your limited vocabulary, Sasuke?"

"…Hn."

Sakura rolled her eyes, huffing. Who did this moron think he was, anyway? Acting like a proper stuck up every time he saw her or anyone else.

"I don't think you'd want to anger him, Sakura, seeing as he's going to stay with you for a month."

"Oh well, that's-WHAT?!"

The Fifth Hokage sighed, knowing her disciple's fiery temper and super human strength.

"Haruno Sakura, I hereby order you to be Uchiha Sasuke's companion for one month, seeing that he's going to be under your house arrest."

-x-

**A/N:**

Okay, so my previous one got deleted, and I'm so upset that I spent 3 flipping hours on it for nothing. -Cries-

Niwatori no Ketsu means chicken ass, and Gaki means brat.

If you were wondering why Sasuke went to the Fifth when he wanted to stay away in the previous chapters, I'll provide a little flashback in the next chapter, so as to leave you guys on a cliffhanger. (:

Oh yes, and review! I need to know what you guys think.

Should I have technology in this story, or just old times?

Technology as in laptops, hand phones, stuff like that so that it'll be much easier to communicate between the gang.

I personally crave technology, because I'm using one now, aren't I?

…And so are you.

Ne-ways, Ja Matte! (:


	6. The Kiss

**When It All Falls Apart;**

**Chapter Six: The Kiss**

**Disclaimer:  
**I do not own Naruto. If I did, everything would be perfect already.

**A/N:  
**Me: Ouch, now that slap hurt, didn't it Sasuke?  
Sasuke: … -Rubbing sore cheek-  
Sakura: -Beams- I got to slap Sasuke?!  
Me: Well, yeah, for being such a bastard and leaving you.  
Sakura: …Can I bash him then?  
Sasuke: o_o Damn.  
Me: -Beams- SURE! And people, since I didn't get any reviews on whether to have technology or not…  
Sakura: …She decides?  
Me: Bingo!  
Sakura: …I'm guessing we'll have them then.

**Reviews Replies:  
**Tiger Priestess - You're going to have so much 'fun' for leaving her, Sasuke. –Evil smile-

-x-

Silence. You could even hear a pin drop at this rate…

"NANI?! I'm not going to live with that-" Sakura pointed an accusing finger at Sasuke, who in turn was still rubbing his sore cheek from where she'd slapped him earlier on. "-that moron!"

"Sakura…"

"NO WAY! NEVER!"

"Sakuraaaaaa…."

"EVEN IF IT MEANS I'LL HAVE TO DIE!"

"HARUNO SAKURA!"

Sakura immediately stopped, stunned from Sasuke's sudden outburst. "…What?"

"Hn. It's not going to kill you, I swear. I'm going to keep so quiet; you'll barely even realize that I'm there."

Sakura was left speechless with that sentence, and Tsunade managed a smile. "Well, it's settled then. Uchiha, go gather your stuff. Sakura, you'll follow him around for every second of your life."

"Hai."

"Hai…wait. Define 'follow him around for every second of your life.' for me."

"It means to follow him wherever he goes, Sakura, and not let him out of your sight for even one second…including the washroom."

"...Yuck."

_**Flashback**_

"_I'm going to have to take you to Tsunade's office."_

"_WHAT?! No fucking way, miss. Didn't I just say that I'm trying not to get killed?"_

"…_Well, live with it." _

_Before he knew it, Hinote jabbed him in the back with her elbow and dragged him to the Hokage's tower._

_When he woke up, he glared up at the two faces above him that were all-too-familiar and growled softly._

"_Uchiha Sasuke, welcome back to Konoha. As much as I'd like you to leave so that you won't cause destruction to the village, your former sensei and I have reached a conclusion of putting you under house arrest for a month to see how things go before letting you off…"_

"_Hn."_

"…_and you shall be placed under Haruno Sakura's care."_

"…_Aa."_

_**End**_

Sakura sighed and ran a hand through her silky pink locks. Of all people they could pick on, it had to be her, huh?

Well, she could put up with him for one month…she guessed.

She glanced left and right as she continued walking at a fast pace, before suddenly swerving sideways. Sasuke, who was carrying his baggage, had to move even faster to catch up.

"Trying to lose me, huh, Sakura?"

"Nah, I'm just jumping for joy at the prospect of the oh-so-mighty-Uchiha Sasuke living in my home." she replied sarcastically, coming to a sudden stop in front of a cozy-looking building. Whipping out her keys and grabbing Sasuke's luggage from him before he could crash into her, she unlocked the door and shoved him in.

Sasuke stumbled in and caught his footing before he fell, glancing around the small living room. The room was framed with glass, probably to keep the room soundproof from the outside, and a cozy white L-shaped sofa sat snugly on a baby blue rug. A large television was fitted on the wall to have a home-theatre effect while watching movies and fluffy soft toys rested comfortably on the shelf at one corner. He didn't notice them too much, though, as his attention was directed to the things hanging on the walls.

Pictures fitted in little wooden frames. An unknown feeling rippled in his stomach as he saw so many photos of the ones he used to ignore.

Ino, Kiba, Shino, Shikamaru, Tenten, Neji, Lee, Hinote, Sai, Yamato…

His fleeting gaze froze as he caught sight of a familiar photo, his sight never wavering as he stared at it.

The photo which he'd faced downwards at his home before leaving Konoha.

The photo which he, Sakura, Naruto and Kakashi all had copies of.

Team 7. Kakashi's smiling face as he placed his hands on the two male's hair affectionately, Naruto with a glare at him, his own arrogant and cold face, and…

Sakura…or what she used to be. She was in between Naruto and himself, posing cutely for the camera. Her pink locks of hair framed her adorable face, her mouth set in a sweet smile.

Now, she had a cold expression on her face as she placed his luggage on the marble floor, but Sasuke knew better than that. He caught a tiny glimpse of her jade green eyes before she turned them away, and a tiny hint of another emotion fleeted across them before she forced them back.

He'd know that emotion anywhere, since his life had been filled to the brim with it from his childhood. Sadness.

"Sakura…"

"Hmm?"

He was at a loss of words to say as she turned to face him, her anger momentarily forgotten as she kept herself busy with arranging the magazines into a nice pile on the table.

"…Where will I sleep?"

"Oh, right, I forgot about that. Since master ordered me to never let you out of my sight…" she trailed off, thinking through the possibilities, and Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"I guess you'll have to sleep on my bed."

Sasuke blinked a couple of times in surprise. What did she mean, sleeping on her bed? Surely not…

Sakura, noticing the weird expression in his face, rolled her eyes. "I'm honored to know that you do have hormones, Sasuke, but you're sleeping on it alone."

Sasuke simply looked annoyed, cursing inwardly, and Sakura smirked slightly. "I know you need to revive your clan, Sa-su-ke."

The way his name slipped off her tongue was too much for Sasuke to bear as he reappeared in front of her and pinned her to the wall, growling softly as he made eye contact with her.

Sakura didn't have her guard up before that, and as she felt his intense gaze burning through her, some part of her melted off, and her cold stone wall crumbled as she drowned, once again, in those mysterious onyx pools of his. Sasuke didn't know how to react. Her eyes were like quicksand, damn. So he let his mind shut down, letting him fall into what he truly wanted.

His head leaned down slowly, eyes slowly closing, and Sakura flinched a little before her eyelids fluttered closed.

Their lips were just centimeters apart.

She could feel an arm wrapping itself around her waist possessively as she tilted her head upwards to meet his kiss.

Everything was so perfect…

**Ring…ring…ring…**

…maybe not.

-x-

**A/N:  
**The highly anticipated SasuSaku kiss has just been ruined by the telephone. XD  
Sasuke: -Groans- So close…  
Sakura: -Speechless-  
Me: -Smirks- Welcome to hell, Sasuke. I wanted to write some more, but there wouldn't be any fun without cliffhangers, huh?


	7. Perhaps this is love?

**When It All Falls Apart;**

**Chapter Seven: Perhaps this is love?**

**Disclaimer:  
**What a dumb thing to do. Seriously, would I be sitting here, typing out a fan fiction for you lovely people to read, if I did own Naruto? -Raises eyebrow-

**A/N:  
**I love you guys for being such loyal readers! -Gives everyone candy-  
As Micah-san voted for technology, I shall dump modern life into this. Three cheers!  
Oh yes, and this will be a rather long chapter to entertain you guys before I get my arm chewed off by those nasty plot bunnies.  
…I expect at least…FIVE reviews before I update! -Evil smile-

**Reviews Replies:  
**Micah Sakura - As you wish; we shall have technology in this little story of mine then. (:

Micah Sakura - I know. It just seemed so…dreadfully _tempting_ to bully Sasuke. -Grins-

HPMagicLuvr - Arigatou gozaimasu! (:

Tiger Priestess - Sasuke's clumsy when it comes to Sakura. -Laughs- What's so disturbing?

-x-

_I've got to move on and be who I am  
I just don't belong here; I hope you understand  
We might find a place in this world some day  
But at least for now, I got to go my own way…_

Sasuke let go of Sakura, startled, and she hurriedly got to her hand phone to answer the call. Even though all the passion had evaporated with the silence broken, she could feel her face burning up to a shade of pink that would put even her hair to shame. Sliding the cover up so that the keypad was unlocked, she pressed the accept button and held the delicate item to her ear.

"Hello?" she said, trying to sound as breezy as she could.

"SAKURAAAA-CHANNNNN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" a familiar voice yelled back, and she twitched in annoyance.

"…Fuck it, Naruto, I told you a BILLION times NOT to SCREAM IN MY EAR!"

"…I'm sorry." was his reply after a long moment of silence, and Sakura huffed slightly.

"Humph. You're forgiven. What do you want now?"

Sakura rolled her eyes as she imagined Naruto's eyes brightening as she said that she had forgiven him. Psh, he was so predictable.

"Oh, right. Can the gang come to your house tomorrow?"

"…For?"

"Don't tell me you have such a lousy memory, at such a young age too!"

She twitched now; god, he was so annoying at times. "Stop beating about the bush, you moron."

"Today's your _birthday_, silly. You couldn't possibly have forgotten…Wait a second. WHAT DID YOU DO TO SAKURA-CHAN?!"

"…Stop it before I get mad again, Naruto. You know you don't want a repeat of last time's 'incident'."

An awkward silence, before she heard Naruto laughing sheepishly.

"Right, you're definitely Sakura-chan alright."

Sakura sighed, remembering the disaster when she'd last had a birthday party. Oh lord, she didn't even want to think about it. With Sasuke here…she couldn't imagine the consequences.

"Alright, you guys can come, on one condition: don't destroy my house again. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am!"

"I'll see you later then."

Sakura switched off the phone, glancing back at the bored Sasuke. "Gomenasai, Sasuke, but I think you'll have to bear with…a lot of noise later on."

Sasuke just looked up from the floor and nodded his head slightly. "Aa."

Sakura sighed, picking up his luggage bag and headed towards her room with Sasuke trailing slowly behind her. She didn't know how the others were going to react to seeing Sasuke again after such a long time. Sighing, she tried not to think about the incoming doom that loomed over her poor home, and her thoughts flashed back to the near-kiss instead, and instantly regretted it. She remembered the way her heart had pounded so quickly, she thought it was going to explode and the shards sent flying out of her chest; the way his nose touched hers; his hot breath on her porcelain skin, his arm snaking around her petite waist possessively; and the way he'd slowly closed the gap between then, closing his eyes in anticipation of what could have been their first kiss.

Stopping at a traditional Japanese-styled wooden sliding door, Sakura slid it open silently and switched on the light. They were now in a huge bedroom, the walls painted white, and which had a cozy, comfortable vibe in it. A full length mirror was a couple of steps away from the door. A wooden drawer fitted snugly into one corner of the room, with a shelf on its right, filled with books. Beside that was another drawer, this time having a television settled on top of it, and a couch rested in the other corner. In the middle of the room was a huge bed, just enough for two people to cuddle up to each other. It had fluffy white pillows, white sheets, and a canopy covering it so that it looked like you were sleeping in heaven. To its left was a small bedside table, holding an equally small bedside lamp upon it, and yet another drawer, just two times bigger than the previous two. Scrolls and books were stacked in neat piles on its surface, and there was even a cherry pink laptop in the middle of the pack. There was also a balcony, of course, which currently beheld a spectacular view of Konoha's night life. Small plants lined the walls, and a garden swing was placed on the extreme right of the breezy balcony.

Sasuke looked around the room in awe. The Uchiha clan, once great and mighty, didn't even give him a room as good as this one. Sakura soon noticed his expression and smirked, tilting her head to the side. "Why are you giving me that look, Sasuke? Never had such a room before?"

"…Hn." was his typical reply, and Sakura grinned, knowing that his jaw was dropping inwardly.

"**Not bad, Saku, you can read him like a book now, chaaa!" **Inner Sakura exclaimed happily, making a victorious sign with her fingers.

"_Psh, he isn't that hard to read. Sure, it was tough opening his book and trying to understand the foreign language, but all that work sure paid off." _Sakura thought proudly, striding over to the sofa and placing the luggage bag on it gently.

"Mind if I ask something?"

"Mmm, go ahead Sasuke."

"…Uh, this is…umm…"

"Let's see, I most certainly don't expect you to cuddle up to me in bed, Sasuke, because I can sleep on the couch perfectly well. As a matter of fact, I think it's much more comfortable."

Sakura smiled as she watched the faintest hint of pink flush across his cheeks as he bowed his head in embarrassment.

"Never mind, there's no need anymore."

Sakura brushed her hair out of her sight, nodding in mock-approval at his words. "Now go shower, I'll get you something to eat, and we'll get to bed."

Sasuke sighed and went to grab his outfit out of his bag as Sakura skipped downstairs to get her wallet.

"Remember to close the windows, Sasuke!" she yelled in a singsong voice.

"…Aa."

"And lock the door!"

"(Twitch)…Aa."

Twitching, he did as he was told after Sakura went out before going to have a shower. Once he was done, he sat down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as he wondered what he should do now.

To stay…or go?

A loud rumble in the sky caused his head to dart to the sight of rain splattering down on the town through the balcony, and he nearly went mad, knowing that Sakura didn't bring an umbrella along with her.

It was a couple of minutes after pacing up and down in a frenzied state that he heard the door being opened, and he rushed down the stairs to greet a soaked Sakura, smiling as she held out a plastic bag to him. "Well, at least I managed to grab these before the rain started pouring down." she commented cheerily, and Sasuke looked away from her to prevent himself from getting a nosebleed. After all, he knew what happened to clothes when they are drenched.

"Arigatou."

She smiled happily, handing the bag to him before running upstairs to get showered before she caught a cold, and Sasuke peered inside the bag.

He blinked in surprise at her choice of food.

Since when did Konoha have sushi…with tomatoes?

He brought his food upstairs and ate quietly, finishing just as Sakura stepped out of the shower.

"Kyaa, you're done eating already, Sasuke?"

"Hai."

"Well, that's good, I guess. Now, get to sleep."

She roughly shoved him onto the bed, grabbing a thin blanket on the way, and went over to the couch to lie down. Sasuke closed his eyes and waited until she was fast asleep before padding over to her, his footfalls gentle on the floor. She looked so gentle, peaceful, fragile and beautiful…just like her namesake. At the same time, she wasn't a human in his eyes any longer; more like an angel sent from heaven as a gift to him for losing his family at such a tender age. She was his fantasy, his dream, and he knew that she would never be his.

_Uchiha Sasuke, you've fallen for her._

He shook his head in denial, refusing to accept what his heart was screaming at him. Damn it, he was purely friends with her, for god's sake!

_You're nothing but a friend to her, you ass._

_Don't screw things up by telling her, Sasuke. Don't. Whatever you do…just don't tell her._

_You know that she can never be yours, right?_

"Fuck this."

He padded back over to her bed, burying his face in her pillow and inhaling her scent. She even smelt like an angel.

_I'm mentally unsound._

He hit the pillow with a fist, gritting his teeth at his realization.

_I'm fucking unsound._

He had officially fallen in _love_ with Haruno Sakura, the most annoying girl in the universe.

-x-

**A/N: **

Our little Sasuke-chan has finally fallen hard for Sakura-chan. XD  
Remember, five reviews before I shall update~!

-Dances around to 'No Rain No Rainbow'-


	8. I love you, my darling

**When It All Falls Apart;**

**Chapter Eight: I love you, my darling.**

**Disclaimer:  
**BUAHAHAHAHA! NARUTO'S MINE, SASUKE'S MINE, SAKURA'S MINE! EVERYTHING'S MINE, KYAA!  
Ahem, pardon me; I think I ate too much sugar. I no own, you no sue. -Wicked smile-

**A/N:  
**Damn, you people are pampered by me. I always give in to you guys. -Sigh-  
I swear, I shall have five reviews before I update this story's next chapter, or I'll…I don't know what I'm going to do.  
So here's what all of you have been waiting for: the possible confession!  
Read on to find out what happens~

**Reviews Reply: **  
Micah Sakura - As you wish, milady. However, I do expect 5 reviews for the next chapter. XD

Tiger Priestess - Oh, okay. Indeed, I am evil. -Grins-

-x-

Memories, they're what makes a person a person.

They contain our most heartfelt desires and wishes, and are our most prized possessions.

For Haruno Sakura, however, it's a different case.

For her, memories are nothing but chains and bars keeping her imprisoned in her emotional jail house.

For her, it is what keeps her searching for an answer every single day, only to meet a dead end.

For her, it is her dearest blessing; and yet, it was her most horrible curse.

There were a million times that she could run away, to escape; a million choices placed right in front of her very eyes.

However, she always chose to stay.

Bitterness, self-pity, grief and misery; those were the only feelings that _he _probably has.

_He_ had always clung on to his childhood past, never letting anyone in, in fear of abandonment once again.

_He_ was always there to save her when she needed help, and now, it was her turn to save _him_ if only _he'd_ let her into his heart, mind, and soul.

Sakura knew that no matter how many times she told him that she loved him with all of her heart, he'd just push it away again, and nothing was going to change; the puzzle to their hearts would never be solved. If anything, it would just make things worse between them, and they might not even remain as friends any longer.

However, she'd taken the risk. She'd gambled away her whole life, just longing…no, _dying_ for him to accept her.

They say that true love was never easy to find, and probably only belonged to those things called fairytales. But to her, life seemed too perfect.

To her, life is just another fairytale.

However, in this fairytale, the princess finally found her prince, and he'd found another princess named Revenge.

However, in this fairytale, the other princess had left her Prince Charming with nothing but a broken heart; never to be mended, never to be healed.

To her, life was definitely a beautiful fairytale. The only difference was that there will be no happily ever after, and Haruno Sakura knows this only too well.

She ran her hand through his spiky raven locks gently, her gaze fixed on his closed eyes, her forehead placed together with his. Now that he wasn't going to look pissed off, bored, or something else, she finally saw what he truly was. A prince, with beautiful white wings, and an ethereal face…he was just so unattainable. She sighed, knowing that she couldn't reach him at all even if she was touching him now. He was just so far away, it was impossible for her to reach him.

He was the crown prince of the castle in the sky, and she was but a mere mortal, wishing that she could sprout wings and join him in his magical dance.

"**Heh, Sakura, you've been brought up like this?"**

"_Shut up Inner."_

"**Hmm, I'm only here to ask you if you're giving up that easily. You've read countless of fairytale stories, watched countless romance films, and here you are moping about not getting your knight in shining armor. What's wrong with you nowadays?"**

"…"

Sakura closed her eyes, content just to stay by his side. She'd break any rule to see him safe, and she would suffer a million years of pain just to freeze time. She'd die for him, and she knew the answer to her countless questions of why she kept giving him her heart even after knowing that he'd just break it again.

She _loved _him. So much, her heart felt like it couldn't keep the pretense any longer; it broke into a million pieces just by seeing a scar on him; it flew into the sky when he looked at her; it skipped a couple of beats when their lips nearly met.

She groaned, removing all physical contact with him as she got up, headed towards the door, and slammed her head into it…hard.

She felt a sticky liquid trail its way down her nose and slide off her lips like her face was its playground. Turning around so that her back was to the door, she let her legs buckle underneath her, slowly sliding down the soft surface.

She knew she could never have him. So why was she doing this? Why was she abusing herself like this?

Bringing a hand up to her mouth, she touched the liquid gently before glancing down. Blood; she should have known.

However, she didn't feel any pain at all.

She only felt the hurt in her heart, like it had been thoroughly and viciously stabbed at with a thousand kunais.

The noise caused Sasuke's eyes to flutter open sleepily, and he got out of bed, determined to find out the cause of the noise and beat the person to a pulp…

But he could only stare in shock as he saw a trail of red down Sakura's face, staining a couple of strands of her lovely pink hair.

"Sakura, what the fuck happened to you?"

He saw her gaze flit up to him, like a butterfly ready to take flight, and her lips trying to find its way into a smile. He tensed up, ready to _kill _the person who'd hurt her so badly.

"It was me, Sasuke."

He raised an eyebrow, questions and concern etched on his undoubtedly handsome face, and she shook her head.

"Do I look like I'm going to tell you?"

He rolled his eyes, knowing that she was a stubborn little miss, and bent down. She flinched, wondering what he planned to do to her, but a gasp escaped from her lips as he scooped her up in his arms, slid the door open with his foot, and carried her downstairs.

"Sa…Sasu…ke?"

"Hn, since you won't go and wash your face, I'm going to do it for you."

She stared at him in surprise, her heart pounding like crazy, blood creeping up to her cheeks. "…Why? You always didn't give a damn to me."

"Humph, I never said that I didn't care."

She nearly choked on the air now, her eyes wide with surprise. Could it be? Did he really care?

He reached the tiny kitchen and dumped her on a chair, his onyx eyes burning holes through her jade green ones as he gripped the chair with his strong arms to prevent her from escaping. "Do you know what I'd do just to hear you say Sasuke-**kun **again?"

Numbly, she shook her head, her mind racing through the questions that she always wanted to ask him, but held back in fear of his reply.

"I swear everything, I would risk everything, and I would lose everything for you…Just to think of you and to live together with you, Sakura."

He let go of the chair, turning to get the first aid kit, and froze halfway. "All all that, is because I love you."

She felt her whole body explode with infinite joy, more than she could ever think of, and leapt off the chair to tackle him in a huge bear-hug. Burying her face in his back, she stayed in that position for a silent moment as her brain tried to catch up on what's going on. Uchiha Sasuke, the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan, probably has a HUGE amount of money waiting for him in the bank, man of every girl's dreams, actually _loved _her. She felt a smile tugging on her lips and gave in, bliss evident all over her pretty face.

"I love you too, Sasuke-kun."

He managed a smirk; content just to feel her arms wrapped around him tightly just like during the Chunin exams.

"Then will you, Haruno Sakura, be my girlfriend with the intention of being my Uchiha matriarch?"

She smiled, letting go of him just to slip in front of him and hold him in her arms once more.

"Mrs. Uchiha…sounds good to me."

-x-

**A/N: **  
There, I fulfilled you people's wishes of having THE great SasuSaku creation. -Beams with pride-  
Will their love last through more obstacles, like Naruto and Hinote's love towards each of them?  
You have to keep reading and reviewing to find out~  
Remember, 5 reviews. And I'll stick to it this time. -Nods-


	9. All I Could Ever Wish For

**When It All Falls Apart;  
Chapter Nine: All I could ever wish for.**

Disclaimer:  
I will never ever own Naruto. Must we do this again and again, dear readers? ****

A/N:  
Since I've been jutsu-ed to update, I shall; I don't think I'll be getting any other reviewers other than you guys. -Sighs-  
I love you guys so much, you know that? You have all of my love.  
Check out my other story, Memories in Time, as well!  
I think that one has more of my love compared with this, as I truly tried to go into depth on description and length, and actually re-wrote again and again. -Laughs-  
Don't worry though, I'll be updating each on a-hopefully-regular basis; no favoritism here.

Sasuke: Hn; no favoritism my ass.  
Me: …We all know you have one fine, pretty ass, Sasuke.  
Sasuke: …  
Me: Tsk, Sasuke, and you weren't the person I want to see. Where's Sakura-chan?  
Sasuke: How would I know? -Annoyed look-  
Me: Because you're her sweetheart? -Smirk-  
Sasuke: Uh… -Stammers, blushes, hides-  
Me: Anyway, this is just a VERY SHORT chapter, something like a pre-party thing. I'm super busy with school, and I have limited time to update and make SasuSaku videos, so bear with me people.

**Reviews Reply:  
**Micah Sakura - Well, you could of course. -Grins- Just think about what you're going to say for 4 more reviews.  
Tiger Priestess - SasuSaku fluff rocks any SasuSaku fan's socks. -Beams happily-  
HPMagicLuvr - Yes, of course. -Starts typing out this chapter- Thanks, I loved the ending too.  
-x-

_- -  
__I want to tell you what I'm feeling _

_But I don't know how to start_

_I want to tell you_

_But now I'm afraid that you _

_Might break my heart___

"Oh…my…god…It's beautiful, Sasuke-kun!"

"Do you like it? I got it with you in mind."

Sasuke placed the surprise birthday gift into Sakura's outstretched palms, and she smiled happily. It was a locket, engraved with delicate cherry blossom designs, and formed the words I Love You.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun; I'll treasure it for eternity."

She slipped it onto her neck with some help from him and glanced up at his eyes, feeling loved and protected as he held her petite form close to him. "What do you think?"

He sighed wistfully and laid his cheek on her hair. "You look beautiful, as always."

A small blush crept up to Sakura's cheeks, and she simply laid her head on his broad shoulder quietly. Moments passed before her lips opened in a sudden statement.

"I used to dream of being in love."

"Do you still dream about it?"

She smiled and closed her eyes slowly, wrapping her arms around her beautiful boyfriend tightly as the swing swayed along in the cold wind.

"No, I no longer have to dream anymore..._never again_."

From the moment he had said thank you to her on the day that he'd left, she'd truly fallen in love, and actually felt as if her life was whole.

He was the missing piece to her puzzle, her other half, her soul mate.

He made her feel all of the emotions she thought she'd never have before.

He opened the door to the wonderful world that just waited outside her doorstep and gave her a sense of life in the meaningless life she'd once lived.

But most of all, he gave her all the love she could ever wish for.

A love like theirs had no beginning; it just evolved from a simple spark to what they held close to their hearts now.

It had no right or wrong.

And in these seemingly endless spring days, she was _his_ and _his_ only.

"I want to give you diamonds, sapphires, rubies, pearls, emeralds…" He trailed off for a couple of seconds to pull her closer to him, "…All that, and more if I could, Sakura."

"Sasuke…I don't need all that. All I need is _you_."

Another cold gust of wind blasted through her hair, and she shivered, feeling cold even in his arms. Sasuke noticed, of course, and started to unbutton the blazer he was wearing to keep the cold out.

Sakura blushed like mad as she watched him slowly popping the last button. "What do you think you're doing, Sasuke-kun?"

"I'm just going to make you feel warm." he replied in the calmest voice ever imaginable.

"But…I'm not…ready for that sort of thing…" she muttered, barely above a whisper.

She closed her eyes, preparing herself for some drastic action of Sasuke's…

But it never came.

Instead, she felt warmth across her shoulders, running down her arms, and on her back.

She opened one eye slowly, hesitating, wanting to know what had happened; both fluttered open as she stared in surprise.

Sasuke's blazer was draped over her shoulders, it being long enough to graze her knee. She fell silent, glancing at Sasuke, who was looking at the view of Konoha.

Taking a deep breath, she took one end of the outfit and held it near her nose. It contained his masculine scent, his warmth, his care, his love…

HE was definitely everything that she would ever wish for.


	10. Jealousy

**When It All Falls Apart;  
Chapter Ten: Jealousy**

**Disclaimer:  
**I will never ever own Naruto. Must we do this again and again, dear readers?

**A/N:  
**Ah, who's jealous, and of what, you ask? Just read on to find out. (:  
I was inspired by this wonderful song, yes, so I decided to update for you people.

**Reviews Reply:  
**HPMagicLuvr - Hahas, expect the next few chapters to be short as well.  
CherryBlossom555 - Ah, I see you've changed your penname, Micah Sakura-san. Thanks for your comment. (:  
-x-

Uchiha Sasuke was a very, very sensible young man. What did you expect from a guy who'd lived through countless of battles, good or bad?

Then why was he staring so hard at Sakura and Shino, feeling irked?

Very, very irritated; and that isn't something you see from him every day.

_Why do I feel this way again?_ He silently thought to himself as he folded his arms across his chest as Sakura beamed and tip-toed to give Shino a peck of a kiss on the cheek.

Oh. Right…so that's why.

_Why the fuck did she do that?! _He grumbled inwardly. What's with the giving away of her soft kisses when a simple thank you could have done? What's more, it wasn't even as if she only gave them to him - she showered every single person with it who'd attended her party just now.

Although he knew that Sakura was a super nice girl, it didn't entail kissing others, albeit chastely and quickly on the cheeks.

**If I were you, I'd stop moping around and do something to earn myself one of that.** The little voice in his head retorted.

Stupid voice; he wasn't moping.

**Oh, yeah, you aren't moping. You're just busy being jealous.**

Stupid, stupid voice; he wasn't jealous!

**Tch, say whatever you desire. **

Sasuke twitched; her newfound habit was grating on his patience even more than the annoying way she popped into his dreams ever since he abandoned Konoha.

And that meant that he was teetering somewhere on the verge of his breaking point.

…That was going to be dangerous.

-

"Thanks for coming, Gaara; I really appreciated it." Sakura said happily, before wrapping her arms around him and yes - yet again tip-toeing to firmly plant a chaste on his cheek.

Surprised, and pretty much taken aback, he stole a tentative glance at Sasuke, knowing that he was lingering nearby.

The raven haired male was watching them - or rather, her, with a mixture of astonishment, anger, and possessiveness glinting in those deep onyx eyes. Suddenly paling with a slight hint of fear, Gaara pulled her arms off him. "That's nothing, Sakura…" And when Sasuke started towards them, footsteps heavy on the floor, he started for the door, leaving a very confused Haruno Sakura behind.

Of course, like all the other males in the whole of Konoha, he knew that what was worse than a angry male - make that a revenge-prone Uchiha - was an angry and **possessive **revenge-prone Uchiha.

As for said Uchiha, he had half a mind to beat Gaara to a pulp, and the other half to reprimand Sakura for her sinfully sugar sweet ways.

Fortunately for the other male, he chose the latter.

-

"Sasuke-kun, what's wrong?"

Her voice, though hushed and cautious, was still sweet - deathly sweet.

"It's nothing."

In response, his was cold and emotionless.

She sighed, knowing that he probably didn't want to talk about it, but her curiosity was getting the better of her. "Sasuke, I know that something's wrong. You don't normally do what you did three seconds ago…"

The red marks on her arm, where he had grabbed it tightly and stormed both of them out of the living room, were more than evidence that pointed against him.

He spared her arm a guilty look and sighed, running a hand through his spiky hair.

"…I'm sorry."

"Have I done something wrong to anger you again, Sasuke-kun?"

_YES! You have NO idea._

He bit his lip and shook his head, the words he had planned on berating her for her actions suddenly seeming weak and pathetic to his mind. "It's just that…"

Again he sighed, trying to gather his nerves and catch his breath.

"Sakura…"

"Yes?"

Another sigh escaped his lips, and he took several moments to bite his bottom lip.

-

"Idon'twantyoukissingotherguys."

There, he did it.

Tilting her head, the pink haired female glanced up at him. "You want what again, Sasuke-kun?"

That caused him to groan and her to laugh her silky laugh of hers as a tiny blush spread across her pretty face, much to his frustration.

"Sasuke-kun," she started shyly, twirling her index fingers together, "I'm not sure that I got everything; I only caught the words 'I', 'want', 'kiss' and 'you'…so does that translate to the fact that you want me to kiss you?" She was as pink as her hair now, but her voice was kept together in sincerity.

"NO, THAT'S TOTALLY NOT WHAT I MEANT!" he hollered in frustration, making a small dent in the floor with his fist.

A tiny, almost inaudible "Oh." escaped her lips and when he glanced back, she looked as if she was about to cry.

"Oh darn." Her tears were the weapon she had that could melt his stone heart, and he knew that only too well.

"Sasuke-kun…"

Damage control! Somebody! AHHHHH!

"Don't cry Sakura! I do want it, I'm serious! It's just not what I meant a little while ago…"

"…You do?" Her eyes lightened.

"No…I mean, yes! I mean…I don't want you kissing other guys, even on their cheeks."

"Is something wrong with that?" Bless the Heavens for giving this young lady a sweet voice to match breathtaking features.

He shook his head. "There's only the fact that I'm the **only **guy you should be kissing." he muttered under his breath.

-

He took a double take, trying to process the reason as to why Sakura was wearing a cheeky look on her face. She took the opportunity of him being too stunned to notice her actions and pressed her lips to his softly in a damned heavenly kiss. When they finally broke apart, their faces were flushed bright red.

"You should let others know that your kisses are bought by an insanely high price, and only I can afford it."

She grinned and stole another quick kiss from him. "You deserve it." she whispered in his ear, and he smiled.

Little did Sasuke expect what she had planned for him on that fateful night…

**-**

**A/N:  
**Oh, look! A cliffhanger!  
You people might want to review; they keep me happy and typing. -Grins-  
Even people who don't have accounts can review too, so don't give me any crap on how you can't review because you're not a member~  
Ja ne!


	11. Disappearance

**When It All Falls Apart;  
Chapter Eleven: Disappearance**

**Disclaimer: **  
I don't own Naruto. -Sighs- How many times must you break my fragile heart, dear disclaimer?

**A/N:**  
I can't believe that I'm sitting down here typing this right after I'd finished putting up the tenth chapter, instead of studying like I'm supposed to be, since this whole week is crammed with tests. -Sweat drops-  
Yes, love me for this, readers.  
…On second thoughts, I don't want to know your reactions at the end of this chapter. -Hides-

**Reviews Reply:  
**HPMagicLuvr - Hahas, that's the whole point of cliffies: to keep you reading.

CherryBlossom555 - Ah, Arigatou, for the lovely review. (:

Ellie568 - Arigatou for the review; you have the same name as I do. -Laughs-

-

_I beg of you, listen to me and keep smiling, Virgin Mary  
If you hear me crumble into little pieces  
Holding my breath, trembling  
In this corner of the world  
Then give light now to my eyes that are so clouded by tear, I can't even see the sky_

-

Sasuke groaned as the stupid alarm went off. Cursing it mentally, he reached beside him for the familiar warmth of **his **woman.

Yes, Uchiha males were **very possessive **of their girls, and Sasuke wasn't an exception.

However, there was none.

His eyes shot open and he sat upright in bed, eyes darting around for any sign of the girl.

There was, again, none.

"…Shit."

Throwing the covers off himself, he ran downstairs, nearly tripping over himself in the rush, trying to see if Sakura woke up early to prepare breakfast for them.

Once again, his hopes were dashed.

He spotted something white and rectangular, like an envelope, on the table and grabbed it, praying that it was a note to tell him where she had gone off to; the market maybe?

Tearing it open, he read the note, and his face fell.

"…Sakura, you're such a moron!"

-

Coming to a stop in front of the Hokage's office, he knocked on the door. Without waiting for a reply, he threw the irritating thing open, taking in as much air as he could after his mad sprint.

"You better have a darned good reason for being here, Uchiha."

The Hokage's eyes bore into his panicked ones, angry, yet questioning.

"Sakura…"

"What about her?"

"…She's gone."

-

_Porcelain hands slipped across the doorknob, gripping it firmly and turning it clockwise._

_Long pink hair tickled the back of a huge grey travelling pack._

_Jade green eyes filled to the brim with anguished tears._

_A silver chain hung on her neck, and a simple silver locket dangled on it, with pink cherry blossom patterns engraved onto it, forming the three words that she'd came to use so much._

_She took a deep breath, shutting her eyes and squeezing her hands into fists so tight, she could feel her nails breaking through the skin of her palms. _

_She silently begged her heart to keep on beating; willed her lungs to keep filling up with air. _

_She knew that if she opened her mouth even the tiniest crack, she would start screaming._

_She would just start screaming, and she would never, ever be able to stop._

_-_

The Hokage raised an eyebrow, contemplating whether the Uchiha was telling the truth. He took out the note, folded into two, and stuffed it into the Hokage's hands.

Reading it, her eyes widened, and a slight, sad smile crossed her lips.

"…So she left just because of…this."

-

Tears trickled down a pale cheek as she closed her eyes, waiting.

Her flight was in a couple of minutes, and she knew that she was doing this, all for his sake.

She couldn't stay by him any longer.

She didn't want to watch him crumble.

She didn't want to let his heart break into pieces, after she'd just managed to break the ice surrounding it.

She took a shaky breath, trying to calm herself and her thoughts.

"…This is for you, Sasuke. All this will always be for you and you only."

-

_Sasuke-kun,_

_I can't stay here in Konoha and watch you fall into bits because of my problem anymore. I don't want anyone to know about what's happening to me, Sasuke...not even you._

_You've been a miracle in my life, Sasuke; the reason why I feel complete again. And that's why, I want to thank you, for every little thing that you've done for me._

_For being there to cuddle, to kiss, and to hold through the cold nights…I'm grateful._

_I'm sure you'll make another girl very, very happy someday, Sasuke. _

_I just don't have the pleasure of being that girl anymore._

_I love you; you know that, right? _

_Now, and forever, you shall be the only one to hold the key to my heart._

_I bet you know that too, huh?_

_-Love, Sakura._


	12. Stay By Me

**When It All Falls Apart;  
Chapter Twelve: Stay By Me**

**Disclaimer: **  
No, I do not own Naruto, or Sasuke, or Sakura, or any other character here.  
That breaks my heart so. D:

**A/N: **  
Oh my fudge. I never would have thought that this story would become so popular right after a little twist in the story. o.0  
It seems uncertain to whether Memories In Time is more popular than When It All Falls Apart now. -Laughs-  
But I still haven't reached my goal of 5 reviews per chapter. -Pouts-  
Here's another chapter of the story, dedicated to all you lovely readers, and especially you darling reviewers.  
Oh yes, and if you were wondering what that patch of italics is before the story, it's the song lyrics to my inspiration and the song you probably should listen to while reading to get the whole feel of the chapter. (:  
This chapter: Cascada - Can't Stop The Rain From Falling

**Reviews Reply:  
**CherryBlossom555 - Well… -smirk- …this means I shall put cliffies in all of the chapters. -Evil smile- Thanks for the review! -Huggles-

Luna Rei Harmony - Thank you! -Smiles widely-

xx-Wild Child.571-xx - Hahas, nonono, this isn't one of the best fanfics around. Thanks anyway! -Big smile-

Charmful ika - Ohmygod, don't cry. -Eyes grow wide in horror, hands tissue over, and sigh in defeat- This is a SasuSaku fanfic after all; of course they'll be back together…sometime.

-

_I can't stop the rain from falling  
I'm drowning in these tears I cry  
Since you left without a warning  
I face the dawn with sleepless nights_

-

Onyx eyes searched anxiously.

Spiky raven hair swished along with his movements.

His body shuddered tiredly with each intake of breath, donned in a black outfit, proudly displaying the Uchiha symbol at the back.

In no freaking condition would Uchihas ever surrender their heart.

After all, females were only good for continuing a clan, right?

Hah, then he broke the rule.

And he wasn't ready to give up something without a fight.

He wanted answers, and he'd go to extreme means to get them.

…Even if it means scouting the entire freaking huge airport.

-

"_Passengers for the flight S93827023, please report to the boarding area now. I repeat: passengers for the flight…"_

Sakura got up from her seat slowly, grabbing her bag and swinging it over her shoulders, her neck aching from lying down on the seat in such an uncomfortable position. Wincing as she felt her legs cram up at the sudden movement, she bit her bottom lip gently and stretched, glancing around for the sign to a washroom. Once she found it, she happily headed towards the direction the arrow was pointing at, twitching at the fact that many people were staring at her as she shoved the door open and went to tidy up her appearance in the mirror.

"_Oh, for god's great sake, STOP STARING, PEOPLE!"_Inner Sakura yelled while shooting kunais, shurikens, katanas…well, you get the point, at the unwelcome audience.

"_Tch, will you __**chill out**__ already." _Sakura mentally replied, rolling her eyes.

"_No I won't, you're not getting me to forgive this that easily."_

"_Suit yourself. Just remember that they can't see, hear, or whatever you."_

"_You're a __**pain in the ass**__ ever since you turned that doorknob, Psh." _

Sakura froze at that, staring at her reflection in the piece of glass as the memory struck through her brain, before shaking her head and riling herself up for a comeback.

"_Well, at least I know that it's__** impossible**__ to __**stay with him**__ any longer. What about __**you**__? I guess the words Tsunade-sensei said __**didn't go through your brain**__, did it?!"_

"…_So you're running away. Is that it, Sakura? __**Running away**__ like a little __**COWARD**__?!"_

"_I'm __**not**__ a coward! I'm not a coward. I'm not a coward..."_

"_Denying the fact that he'll still __**stay by you**__, no matter what happens to you. __**Weak, pathetic fool**__."_

-

Sakura blinked back tears as she cut off the conversation, knowing that she couldn't win, fighting the sudden urge to smash a chakra filled fist into the mirror.

She knew that she was a fool; there was no doubt about it.

A fool for love; that was what she had became ever since she'd met Sasuke.

She could…no, **would**, do **everything **to make Sasuke happy.

Including leaving so that he could get over her and settle down with another girl; hah, she was indeed a weak, pathetic, useless fool.

-

Sasuke rubbed his head, growling fiercely, Sharingan activating.

'_What stupid fucking object was that?!' _he thought, having fantasies of murdering the thing really brutally, human or object.

Getting up from the floor, his hand darted down to pick the object that had caused him to trip and fall, opening its cover.

'_Whatever you are, DIE, goddarnit, DIE.'_

He growled, his hand instinctively heading towards his kunai pouch, before freezing and allowing a small smirk to cross his lips.

'_Looks like this is my lucky day…'_

-

Sakura headed towards the boarding area tiredly and fumbled through her pocket for her passport.

And, for once in her lifetime, destiny had a plan to toy around with her.

"Oh. SHIT. WHERE'S MY FREAKING PASSPORT?!"

She yelled, nearly tearing her hair off for dozing off and not putting it under lock and key, rummaging through her bag.

When she still couldn't find it, she went to the extent of pouring all her items out onto the floor, letting everyone see what the bag's contents was.

"Oh shit. Oh fuck. Oh goddarnit. Oh…"

"Looking for this?"

Her eyes widened, and she inclined her head to stare at the figure right in front of her, gulping as she watched a smirk cross his face as he dangled a pink, mini book-like object a few inches from her grasp.

"You really shouldn't leave things around on the floor for me to trip on, Sakura-_chan_."

-

A/N: Oh god, I had so much fun writing this chapter. From sad, to hilarious cursing, and I especially love the last sentence. xD  
REVIEW, people, or I won't update this time! -Smirks evilly-


	13. Prepare To Break

**When It All Falls Apart;  
Chapter Thirteen: Prepare To Break.**

**Disclaimer:  
**Good lord, standard disclaimer applied. Now stop thinking about suing me.

**A/N:  
**Nyah, here, yet ANOTHER chapter of W.I.A.F.A…That's a cool name.  
…Oh, and thanks to you darling people for making me have…SEVEN reviews for this chapter! -Huggles all-  
Gomenasai if I'm updating really slowly now; school's back, which leaves me with very limited time to myself, much less on the computer. D:

**Reviews Replies:  
**CherryBlossom555 - Oh yeah, cliffies rock. (: -Shot with bazooka- At least for reviewers to review! -Puppy eyes-

kerapal bubbles - Nonono, I don't mean Hinata-chan, I really meant Hinote-chan. She's a made up character from one of my previous role-play buddies as I mentioned in an earlier chapter. And now that you mention it, I really should start having them communicate to others. Thanks, anyway. (:

Ellie568 - Aw, thank you, thank you! (:

cherryblossomdream - Hahas, thank you! (:

Luna Rei Harmony - That'd be dudette. -Grins- Good to know a little SasuSaku humor was appreciated. Proves that I don't have a weird sense of humor. Thanks! (:

HPMagicLuvr - Thank you! And don't worry; I'm not going to abandon this story to rot anytime soon. (:

Fallen. Rose. Angel - Aa, on the contrary, to have Sasu-kun love you to bits and pieces; Saku-chan is a very lucky girl. If you'd read the earlier chapter, I think it hints at the reason of her living. And during even earlier chapters, I had a suggestion to add technology into it, and someone agreed, so there's modern world in this. A rather modern x ninja concept, I should think. Thanks anyway! (:

_-  
Take one step at a time  
There's no need to rush  
It's like learning to fly  
Or falling in love…_

_-_

"…Oh. My….Damn."

Sakura smiled sheepishly up at the smirking male, running a hand through her bubble gum pink hair uneasily. "…Um, hi again, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke's smirk widened, and he raised an eyebrow. "So, where do you think you're running off to?"

"…Nowhere?"

"Psh. I hope you haven't forgotten that we have plans for today, Sakura."

"Oh yeah, I totally forgot…wait a minute. Do we have plans?"

Sakura tilted her head to the side, like a little innocent puppy, while packing up her things back into her bag, and the simple action transformed Sasuke's smirk to a smile. Before he could reply her, though…

-

"AHHHHH! SASUKE-KUUUUNNN! BE MY BOYFRIEND!"

"HE'S GOING TO BE MINE! MARRY ME, SASUKE-KUUUUUUNNNN!"

"WE CAN MAKE GORGEOUS UCHIHA HEIRS TOGETHER!"

-

Sasuke and Sakura sweat dropped in unison, glancing at each other.

"I think we should really go now, if you don't mind, Sakura."

"Uh, as a matter of fact, I think we should…**RUN FOR IT**!"

-

Sakura slung the newly-packed bag over her shoulders as Sasuke grabbed her free hand, sprinting away from the mob of fan girls that were descending on them. Sakura, not quite used to running that quickly since she didn't have freaking long legs like Sasuke, nearly tripped and fell over. Sasuke sighed as he noticed her fumble slightly, coming to an abrupt halt and causing his female counterpart to crash into his back and land with her rear on the floor.

"Ouch, what the hell was that for, baka?!"

"…Get on."

Sakura blinked, glancing up at him quizzically as he held his arm out to her, crouching down so that he was at the same alignment with her.

"What are you doing?"

"…-Sigh-…This is called helping you to get up so that we can initiate a piggyback, Sakura, if you don't realize that the fan girls are coming at us by now."

"…Oh."

She grabbed his arm and he helped to pull her up, before turning around so that his back faced her. Awkwardly, she wrapped her arms around his neck as he hoisted her into a piggyback position.

"Hang on tight."

Sakura clung onto his neck as he started off, burying her face into his broad shoulders as they made their great escape from the crazy mob.

-

"I hope you didn't get scared for life by that speed."

Sakura glanced up at Sasuke, who was sitting in a tree, watching her with such an intense gaze that she couldn't help but to blush a little.

"Aa, you didn't scare me Sasuke-kun."

"That's good."

Sakura watched him close his eyes as he leaned back so that his back rested comfortably on the trunk, his hair being tossed around playfully by the gentle wind that caressed their faces. Smiling at the cute sight, she took her footwear off and dangled her feet into the lake's clear water, relishing the feel of cold liquid gently soothing her tiny toes. She felt so relaxed that she didn't even notice a dark shadow creeping over hers, footfalls almost mute. Then, a pair of strong arms grabbed her waist; being a girl, she screamed, fear running through her mind at the possibilities that might happen to her.

-

She was tossed onto the grass playfully, the person on top of her almost a split second later, wearing a smirk on his face as he crashed his lips on hers for a few long moments before letting go.

"Sa-Sasuke-k-kun…"

"…Ngh?"

"What was that for?!" She whacked his head playfully, tuning her lips to a puppy pout.

"Just for fun, Saku, just for fun." he teased, which earned him yet another whack on his head.

"Tell me, why the hell did I become your girlfriend again?"

"Mmm, let's see; there are two reasons. Firstly, you know you love me too much."

She laughed, before sticking out her tongue at him childishly, which he replied to with a smirk.

"Secondly, I asked."

"Ngh, you are such a moron, Sasuke."

"Are you really sure about that, Sakura?"

Raised eyebrow asking her a question; she just laughed.

"Pretty sure, pretty boy; so sure, I could swear on it…NYAAAH! STOP THAT!"

-

Sasuke grinned, continuing to tickle her as she rolled over in the grass, doubling over in laughter.

"Mmmmmph! Sasuke, stop that!"

After having his fair share of bullying her, he smirked and lay down on the grass, and Sakura prodded his forehead cheekily. "Honestly, Sasuke; 'Run', 'from' and 'fan girls' didn't mix around that well with your personality." she teased, prodding his nose and giggling as he wrinkled it. "And why not, Sakura?" he queried, opening his eyes to watch her smile.

"Because Uchihas are courageous, and Uchiha Sasuke is my knight in shining armor, my prince on horseback, no?" she asked in a sing-song voice, and giggled further as she watched a tiny hint of a blush spread across his cheeks.

"Well, if you put it that way, fine. Then do I have permission to brutally kill them?" he asked, getting up and pushing his face a couple of inches from hers, which cause her to blush.

"Sasuuuuke-kuuun; you know how I don't approve of innocent murder!"

"Of course I know."

He patted her head sub-consciously, causing her to purr slightly, like a little kitten, and she nuzzled up to him happily. Sasuke gulped, and mustered up his courage to speak the words that he was screaming in his heart.

"_How would you like to __**move in with me**__, Sakura-chan?"_

-

Jaw drop.

Jade green eyes widened in disbelief.

Her posture stiffened.

She stared at him intently, questioningly.

Sasuke winced inwardly as he saw her reaction to his words; damn, he shouldn't have spoken them. His whole mind was clouded over with regret; oh, how he wished he could rewind…

"_I'd__** love**__ to, Sasuke-kun! You've just made me the __**happiest**__ girl in the __**whole wide world**__!"_

…Wait. **WHAT?**

Sasuke glanced down at Sakura, her arms wrapped around him tightly, lips pulled into a huge, joyous smile. His heart skipped a few beats, his mind trying to process what had just gone by.

"Are you sure, Sakura? I really don't want to force you into doing things you don't want to-"

He was silenced by her lips pressing gently against his own, her arms wrapped around his neck now. After a couple of long moments, she let go of his neck to return to their rightful positions around him, her lips tugged into a full-blown joyful smile.

"_I'd do anything and __**everything**__ for you, Sasuke-kun."_

He smiled; a true, genuine smile that melted her heart.

-

**10:45pm; 25****th**** November**

Dear Diary;

Every single day goes by, and I realize that I can't hide things from him any longer.

But, maybe, just maybe, things will be all right for a while; just this once.

Anyway, the afternoon passed way too quickly for my liking; Sasuke-kun asked me to move in with him! To his huge, huge manor!

I can't wait! ^^

Dear Heart of Mine, I finally saw the real side to Sasuke-kun today. He's not cold, nor arrogant. He's _perfect in every way._

Perhaps, we should initiate our operation now. The operation I'd made in case, when I first set my sight on him.

Prepare to break.

-

**A/N: **

As I mentioned already, sorry if I'm updating really slowly; this goes out to all you lovely readers! :3

For this, and just to find an excuse to not update (Cue sheepish smile here), I expect…

**15 reviews! :D**


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